Walk the Highlands – Assynt and Coigach

On this six-day guided walking tour you’ll explore a pocket of The Highlands around Assynt and Coigach. You’ll hike up mountains to the north of Ullapool, stay in comfy self-catered accommodation, and get to know your fellow hill-walkers over shared meals rustled up by Keith – your tour leader and chef extraordinaire.

Nowhere else in the British Isles quite compares with the Scottish Highlands. Heather-quilted hills, craggy rocky outcrops, and peaks that stagger upwards into wispy clouds all gild this part of the country. The Highlands are undoubtedly Britain’s last wilderness – you’ll probably spot more wildlife than humans here while you’re out walking the crags. And they’re steeped in history, too – you’ll be treading amongst planet Earth’s most ancient rocks, some dating back almost 3000 million years. But perhaps the best – and most comforting - fact of all about this area is that the peaks you’ll be exploring never soar above the 3000 feet-above-sea-level mark.

You’ll be exploring Scotland’s North West Highlands on this tour – in particular, the peaks around Assynt and Coigach. You’ll trek along old stalking paths and up mountains like Quinag, Suilven and Stac Pollaidh, the first of which comes scattered with ancient woodlands of rowan, birch and hazel trees and overlooks Lock Assynt. Stac Pollaidh, meanwhile, is crowned with rocky Torridonian sandstone. Climb to the top and you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views over Loch Lurgainn and rolling hills and countless lochans that stretch into the distance. Other mountains on your checklist include Cul Mor, Cul Beag and Ben Mor Coigach – a high hilly ridge that hugs the shores of Ardmair Bay and spills right into the sea.

You’ll need to have a good general level of fitness to enjoy this tour as you’ll be climbing peaks on a daily basis for six days – and usually you’ll be out walking for around six hours per day. The mountains themselves aren’t huge in comparison to others, but you’ll still need to be pretty fit to conquer them. In terms of age, people under 18 can join in but they’ll need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and aside from that it doesn’t matter – as long as you’re fit and healthy.